Sprinkler-head.



A. BLAUVELT.

, SPRINKLER HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1904 920,252. l Patented May 4, 1909.

UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT BLAUVELT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOlS.

sPnINKLER-HEAD.

No. badass.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Application filed August 22, 1904. Serial No. 221,718.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that il, ALBERT BLAUVELT, a citizen-.0f the United States residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois-"haveinvented certain new and useful IImprovements in Sprinkler-Heads, of which the following is a specification.

vMy invention relates to what are comknown as sprinkler heads attached to the stributing pipes of an automatic fire sprinkler system and controlling vents'or openings in such pipes for the escape and i sprinkling of water, it being understood that i an efficient, reliable and ositively actinvvice of thls character, w rose features ci,

Fig. l Fi 3 a central vertical section of the sprinkler' ead; Fig. 4 an enlarged sectional view onthe' line -4 of Fig. 1, and Figs. 5 and detail views of two of the strut members.

The head proper is in the main substantially ofthe conventional form, except as to certain details hereinafter ointed out,-- that is to say, such sprinkler Eend consists of a yoke 1 and a, nozzle 2 arranged to screw 'into the. distributing pipe and provided with the water passage 3, whose Iupper end is formed as a valve seat in order to receive the valve. `Unlike the conventional form of 4sprinkler head, however, the deilectol marked 4, is arranged within the confines of the oke, such deflector being a body'orcasting aving a series of points or projections e for the purpose of deflecting and sprinkling the water emitted from the water passage 3. In the present instance this deflector is rovided with two pairs of lugs 4b adapte to embrace the u per end of the yoke, as clearly Such yoke is provided with a downwardly extending rivetike projection 5, which extends through a central opening in the deliector and is riveted against the under side or fa'ce of such deiiector,as indicated in the section in Fig.

3, with the result that the deilector is securelyfleld'in proper position and firmly attachedI to the yoke.

' air may circulate therethrough.

The upper end' of 'the yoke is provided with an extension 1a having an opening 1b, which is adapted to receive and retain a cylindrical link 6. It is desired that this link shall have considerable freedom of movement in the opening `1b, and also that there shall be as much space as possible between such link and the yoke, to which end the opening in the yoke is made'considerabl larger than the cylindrical body of the llink, but arranged to engage the link at several oints and thereb retain the same thedlesired position. n the present instance. such link 1s provided with a circumferential lflan e 6, which presses or bears against the yo e at several points, instead of bearing solidly or continuously against the yoke.

The link 6 is provided with a taper, as indicated in Fig. 3, and'is arranged to lreceive a hollow ug 7, whose-outer end is provided with a ange 7a. The link and plug form a portion of' the strut construction or arrangement for governing the opening of the valve.; the link and plugbeing normally held -together in the relative position in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, by meansv of ordinary fusible solder' along their respective and corresponding i tapers. In order that the heat may act quickly upon the solder and thereby assure a sensitive and positive device, suiiicient air space or4 clearance is left between the link and the yoke, as already described, and likewise the ping is made hollow in order that the The strut device also comprises an arm of spring 8, whose upper end is bifurcated as 'indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and adapted to receive the reducedneek ofthe plug 7 and bear against the inward ange 7 thereof. The main body portion of this spring is substantially longitudinal of the sprinkler head, but theI lower end is deflected laterally and inwardly toward the valvle and provided with a hole or opening 8. This opening or hole is adapt ed to receive a pinor projection 9 rising upwardly from the valve,"b'ut is of such asize as to afford-some play between the spring and the pin, for a urpose hereinafter made a parent.' In l or er to avoid lateral disp acement or movement of the spring 8, the deilector is provided with a .tir of lugs 10, which are extended laterally a suilicient distance to bring the spring 8 between them, but such spring is in the normal condition illustrated 1n the drawings.

Pending lugs 1'1a of '-.the fulcrum Between thedeflector and the lower endof the spring is arranged a strut armor fulcrum pin 1 1 whose up. er end bears in a recess 1n the deflector, and w ose lower end bears directl against. the spring. In order to hold suc lower end ofthe'fulcrum pin in proper re la` tive position, the vspring is 'provided with recesses 8b formedxon opposite sides or edges. of .the spring and arranged to' -receive de pin, as

clearly indicated in Figs. 5 and'6.

In ractice, when the heat 'is sufficient to heat t e solder which holds the link and togethenthetension of the spring 8, w lchv is always acting to thrustv the plug laterally, forcibly withdraws such plug from the link or-socket, and after .such movement of the spring and plug,.the lower inner end of the sprin will bemoved sufliciently :to take up al the slack or clearancein the. hole or opening 8a, Whereu on such spring upon furthermovement,l wi l bear against the pin 9 of the valve and thereby pry'such valve from its seat, all of the parts being disassembled' and lthrown considerable distances away from the sprinkler head'proper by the forci-y ble-action of the spring S. rPhe purpose of having the slack space or clearance between the-valve pin and the hole in the spring is yto enable the spring and its plug to acquire some velocity or momentum before theprying movement onv the valve, it being under-4 stood that .the weight-of the plug is consider'- able as compared with the entire weight of the spring and plug.

In previous sprinkler heads the valve Was held to its seat by struts or similar devices, which had no effect or action -upon the valve itself except to remove-the tension therefrom by which they were held to their seats, leaving'the valves to be removed by the water pressure. In the present instance, vas' will now be understood, the strut `device not onlyserves to hold the valve upon its seat, but

also to forcibly remove it therefrom, with the result that the water pressure is not relied u pon to remove the valve'and thereby open the water passage.

As is well known, the valve of a sprinkler head, and in fact sometimes the entire head itself, is coated with wax or the like, especially where the heads are to be used in places or localities .where they will be subjected' to corrosiveaction ofthe air, as in paper mills, where the acid fumes attack the sprinkler heads and vtend to impair or destroytheir eiiiciency. When the sprinkler heads are thus coated with waX,such wax is. liable to melt under ordinary conditions, and thus expose the sprinkler head to such corrosive actionof the air. YOne of the most vulnerable points of sprinkler` heads, so far as corrosive action is concernedfis the valve and valve seat, and to always insure a supply of y wax at this point I so 'arrange and construct the head proper and the water valve that' such valve seats directly upon the head and .a.ring of wax, even though melted,'is at all times retained'inthe corner or a le between the valve 'and sprinkler head, sc wax'being retained, when melted,'by lcapillary attraction. lBy this arrangement and construction a supply. of wax is maintained at 'all times 'immediately adjacent the valve and head proper, sothat the corrosive action f the air vcannot .this oint.

I'caim: 1. The combination of a valve'of a sprinkler head'for lire extinguisher systems, and a strutv 'device normally holdingl such valve therewith to mechanically force the same laterally from its seat when the sprinkler spring f is released and the .head is operatedv 2.1 The combination of a valve of asprinkler head for fire, extinguisher systems, and a strut device normal] holding such valve closed and having a spring member normally 4held'under tension by a fusible solder .connectionysaid spring member` being mechanically-connected with the valve to force the same laterally oif its seat when the solder is fused. -'-v.

3. rllhel combination of a valve of a sprinkler head for fire extinguisher systems, said device having a spring member normally pressing against the" valve to' close it but adapted to engage the pin and move it laterally when the head is operated and thereby force the valve from-its seat independently of the air or water pressure.

' 4. The 'combination of a valve of a .sprinkler head for fire extinguisher systems, and a strut device cooperating with the valve and comprising-in connection with the yokeof a sprinkler head', a springmember bearing at one end against the valve, a plug connected with the other end thereof and a sleeve of link connected with the yoke and arranged to receive the plug, said link and plug being normally held together by fusible solder.

affect the sprinkler head at l'so closed under spring Itension but connected valvehaving a pin or projection, and astrut 5. The combination of a valve of a sprinkler head for iire extinguisher systems, and a strut deviceco'perating with the valve and comprising, in connection with. the yoke of a sprinkler head, a spring member bearingat oneend against the valve, a plug connected with the other end thereof and a sleeve or link arranged to receive the plug and to normally hold the latter by'means of fusible solder, said yoke having an opening arranged to engage'the link at a few points only to provide air circulation therebetween.

' 6. The combination of a. valve of a sprin- I kler headfor lire extinguisher systems, and a strut devlce conerating with the valve and one end against the va ve, a plug connected 1 i connected with the yoke and arranged to be operating when released by the melting of comprising, in connection with the yoke of a j ed, and a hollow link receiving the plugiand sprinkler head, a sprin member bearing at connected thereto by fusible solder.

11. The combination of a valve of a sprinwith the other end thereof, said plug being l kler head for iire extinguisher systems, said hollow for air circulation, and asleeve or link j valve having a projecting pin, and a strut j device having a spring member provided at j one end with an opening to receive the valve i pin and at its other end provided with a fusible solder connection with the sprinkler head, and a strut arm arranged between the spring member and head.

l2. The combination of a valve of a sprin klei' head for ire extinguisher systems, said valve having a projecting pin, and a strut device having a spring member provided at one end withan opening to receive the valve `pin and at its other end provided with a fusi' le solder connection with the sprinkler head, said spring member havingopposite recesses, and a strut arm arranged between said head and member and having lugs fitting in said recesses 13. A sprinkler head comprising a yoke, a deflector arranged therewithin, a valve, and a strut device comprising a spring member at one end pressing upon the valve and at its other end having a fusible solder. connection with the yoke, and a strut arm arranged beconnected with the plug by fusible solder.

7. The combination of a valve of a sprinkler head for fire extinguisher systems, and a strut device coperating with the valve and comprising, in connection with the yoke of a l sprinkler head, a spring member bearing at one end against the valve, and having its other end bifurcated, a plug engaged by the biurcated end of the s ring `member and means for holding the p ug connected with the yoke by means of fusible solder.

8. The combination of a valve of a sprinklerv head for iire extinguisher systems, saidl valve having a projecting pin, and a strut device having a spring member provided at one end with an opening to receive the valve pin and having at its other end a fusible solder connection with the head, said spring the solder to exert a sudden lateral jerk upon the pin. i

9. The combination of a valve of a sprinkler head for fire extinguisher systems, said tween the spring member and de'lector. valve having a projecting pin, and a strut j 14. A sprinkler head comprising a yoke device having a s ring member provided at having an upward extension provided with one end with an e ongated opening to afford l an opening, a valve, and astrut device com- 1glay between the pin and s ring member and prising a spring member at one end ressing aving at its other end a 'usible solder conupon the valve, a plug with which t e other nection with the head, Ysaid spring operating end of'the spring member is connected, and when released bv the melting of the solder 'to i a hollouT link litting and anchored in 'said exert a sudden lateral jerk upon the pin. j yoke yopening and connected with the plug by k110i]The'fconbination of a valve of a sprinj fusible Solder.

er ead or re extinguisher systems said L f valve'havillg .a Projecting Pin, and a strutl ALBERI BLAUVELT device having a spring member provided at Witnesses:

one end with an opening to receive the valve l HARRY P. FRENCH,

CHRIST Nissan pin, a plug to which the member is connectl 

